August 2011

28/08/11

Top of the Food chain

Western polecats are the largest wild predators in the dunes of the delta in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. At least for now, foxes have started migrating south. During august and September the young polecats start to really explore their world. In less than a week, on two different islands I had the opportunity to photograph wild polecats. They seem to be quite inquisitive and will first stare at that weird two-legged thing making clicking sounds and then after a while go their way. Being nocturnal, most published photographs of polecats are made in captivity. To see them in the wild you have to go out at dusk and be very lucky. The more time you spend in the field in the same locations the more you see, and the puzzle slowly falls into place. The lens I happened to have on camera was a macro lens, and this gave me the effect I wanted of shallow depth of field, I like the intense stare of the polecat.